Annascaul is a village in CountyKerry, south west Ireland, and is best known as the location where the last wild wolf was killed in Britain and Ireland (1786). It was also the birth place and home of the Antarctic explorer Tom Crean who accompanied Scott and Shackleton on their expeditions to the southern continent at the beginning of the twentieth century.

Annascaul station was one of two intermediate passing places on the 3’ gauge line connecting Tralee with Dingle, and a favourite spot for photography in the lines final years, as there were lengthy stops for watering the locos. If fortunate there was the chance to see cattle trains passing. The final ‘cattle special’ ran in June 1953.

Resources to help model the station are few and far between (despite the photographs – locos, wagons and steam seemed to get in the way) and some guess work has had to go into the construction. Hopefully what you see catches the character of the place, even if not 100% accurate in all respects.

The layout is modelled in 4mm scale with 12mm gauge track (mostly PECO HOm) and this is known as 00n3. Stock is built from the wide range of kits available – in plastic, resin, white metal, card and brass – all based on 3’ gauge prototypes from the railways of Ireland and the Isle of Man. Stand and watch and you should see a variety of trains from several 3’ gauge lines passing by.

I’ll be pleased to answer any questions about the layout and its construction (it’s been another challenging learning curve!)